Glowforge Focusing & Head not moving - any help?!?

hello!! maybe you have more insight than anything I can read. Last week I started a new run, machine was working fine up into that point and it just quit. Cleaned machine the night before, did one run and when I started the 2nd one… it started processing job and even started engraving, Then about 5 mins into that job. Machine quit moving and now it is stuck on focusing…

Wifi is connected, restarted router and manually reconnected machine to wifi… When you turn power on it sounds like it is powering but but no movement and just stuck on focusing.

I’ve emailed support but from what I’ve read it can take a while to get a response, so I was hoping that someone has had a similar issue in the past and I’m just missing a troubleshooting step.

Any help is appreciated!

hmm, could the cable have gotten wet? from your cleaning?
take some compressed air, and blow all the contacts clean, (with unit unplugged)
esp black cable connectors!

make sure nothing is wet!!

Jonathan

no - I just use alcohol swab pads so nothing could’ve gotten wet

Alcohol swab pads have about 30% water, so if you wiped anything down with them while it was powered on it could have shorted something.

Thank but I only use them to clean the cameras/lens. Plus I was able to run one project after cleaning it. My problems started on the 2nd run. It started processing and then 5 mins into that run everything stopped.

ok, lets go a different route, how old is your machine?
which one is it?
is the button lit?
what color?
do you have a spare black lid cable?

Do you get clicks from your print head when you power up?
Have you tried powering it off and then moving the print head and arm towards the center of the bed and then power it on?

That’s odd, he entire motion plan is downloaded to memory before the button lights up. At that point the machine should be able to complete the job without an internet connection.

Welcome to the forum!

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MyDogsThinkImCrazyRegular

4h

Do you get clicks from your print head when you power up?
Have you tried powering it off and then moving the print head and arm towards the center of the bed and then power it on?

it does click, when it is supposed to be focusing but everything just sits in places, no movement

i have - even tried covering it to make it dark inside the machine, nothing

MacgeekOwner

eddiesigns2

15h

ok, lets go a different route, how old is your machine? ROUGHLY 2 yrs
which one is it? GLOWFORGE PLUS
is the button lit? NO
what color? NO COLOR AT ALL
do you have a spare black lid cable? NO

Problem located. Ugh. New printer head needed.

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What on earth is that? There is nothing like that on my printer head.

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DITTO

(ditto)

this piece is inside the printer head. It slides up and down with the magnetic on the side to adjust the laser.

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WOWOWOW
that’s a new one, Its the first time I have ever heard of THAT going!
wow!

how did you discover it?

Jonathan

Wow. Mirror must have been mis-aligned.

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if you take the top of the printer head off with those 4 screws you can see it instantly.

A little worrisome that the beam burned the side of the lens transport. Indicates something is misaligned. Could have been the mirror inside the head or a mirror further up the optical path. So a new head is needed but may or may not solve the original problem.

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That’s a new one. I’ve not been that deep into the head assembly. @MyDogsThinkImCrazy - have you?

Yup!
Here is a video of it in action (it’s the white piece you see moving). It’s just behind your lens:

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